Pregnant heifers safely reach Ebini

Jul 14, 2026 News

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…as GLDA rejects neglect claims

…Opposition questions handling of operation

(Kaieteur News) – The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) on Monday rejected what it described as false, misleading and unsubstantiated claims circulating on social media regarding the welfare, transportation and management of recently imported Brazilian cattle, even as Opposition Members of Parliament raised concerns over the handling of the operation after encountering delays at the Tacama/Ebini river crossing.

In a statement, the authority assured the public that the health, welfare and humane treatment of the animals remained its highest priority throughout the importation process and maintained that at no stage were the cattle neglected, abandoned or transported without continuous veterinary supervision.

Contrary to claims circulated online, the authority said the cattle underwent a mandatory seven-day pre-export quarantine in Brazil, where they were inspected, monitored, tested and certified by the competent veterinary authorities as healthy and free from transboundary animal diseases.

Upon arrival in Lethem, the animals were subjected to further veterinary inspection by the GLDA before being cleared to continue their journey to the authority’s Ebini Livestock Facility.

The authority stated that throughout the journey the cattle were transported in accordance with strict animal welfare protocols.

“Mandatory rest stops were conducted every four hours, during which the animals were provided with feed and clean drinking water supplemented with electrolytes. During each stop, GLDA veterinarians and animal health personnel carried out routine welfare assessments to monitor the animals for any signs of stress, illness, injury, or fatigue. Veterinary supervision and technical support have remained continuous throughout the operation,” GLDA explained.

Further, GLDA said the temporary delay at the river crossing was not the result of poor planning or inadequate animal care, but rather “prevailing tidal conditions and precautionary operational measures” implemented to ensure the safe transfer of livestock transport vehicles across the river.

Throughout the delay, the authority said the animals continued to receive adequate feed, clean drinking water, veterinary care and continuous monitoring.

GLDA acknowledged that three animal mortalities occurred during the operation but said the losses were promptly documented and managed in accordance with established veterinary protocols.

“Importantly, under the terms and conditions of the procurement contract, the supplier is contractually obligated to deliver all animals alive to the GLDA’s Ebini Livestock Facility. Consequently, the supplier will be required to replace the three animals at no additional cost to the Government of Guyana or the Guyana Livestock Development Authority,” the statement said.

The authority also dismissed suggestions that the cattle were intended for any private farming operation, stating that they are public assets procured under a national livestock development programme aimed at improving livestock genetics, strengthening food security and increasing domestic livestock productivity.

Later on Monday, GLDA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Dwight Walrond released a video confirming that the animals had safely reached the Ebini station.

“I think we have only one or two trucks remaining to be offloaded, and that will be completed within half an hour or so, and the animals will continue to receive the necessary attention,” he said, while noting that the reported animal deaths resulted from cramping during transportation.

However, before the cattle were safely transferred to the facility, delays at the Tacama/Ebini Landing in Region 10 prompted criticism from Opposition Members of Parliament and the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, who questioned the planning and execution of the operation.

APNU Members of Parliament Dr. Terrence Campbell, Saiku Andrews and Sherod Duncan visited the landing on Monday morning where they shared live footage and images of the cattle, which they said were stranded in trucks awaiting transportation across the river.

Speaking during a live broadcast, Dr. Campbell said that when they arrived there was no barge capable of transporting the trucks to the Ebini facility and disclosed that it was only after they reached the landing that the trucks began moving.

He further stated that after a barge eventually arrived, excavators were then being used to facilitate the landing of the vessel.

According to Campbell, the apparent lack of preparation called into question whether the cattle were genuinely destined for the Ebini facility, arguing that if they were, the necessary arrangements should already have been in place.

The APNU MP said persons within the Ministry of Agriculture told him they received notice of the cattle’s arrival at the last minute, preventing proper preparations from being made.

Campbell also said reports at the landing suggested that some of the animals had died.

“Now, we’ve heard that some of them have already died. I want to remind viewers that these cows are pregnant heifers. This kind of trip is exhaustive and stressful for animals that are not pregnant, much less pregnant heifers,” he said.

Noting that each heifer cost the Government G$245,000, Campbell questioned whether taxpayers’ money and public assets were being properly managed.

Describing the situation as “mismanagement”, he said, “That is why we are here today. It is a scandal, yet another national scandal. We can call this Farmgate Two. We just had Farmgate One on the Linden Highway, and this is Farmgate Two.”

He added that the agriculture sector should be subjected to greater public scrutiny.

Later on Monday afternoon, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, accompanied by WIN Member Mark Goring, also visited the landing where trucks were still awaiting transportation across the river.

Following their assessment, they similarly contended that there had been inadequate preparation for the cattle’s arrival at Ebini.

Mohamed further claimed the animals required urgent medical attention and said no veterinarian was visible at the landing despite the ministry’s earlier assurance that veterinary personnel were accompanying the shipment.

Describing the condition of the cattle as “animal cruelty”, the WIN party called on animal rights organisations and activists to intervene.

The Ministry of Agriculture has stated that the 300 cattle represent the first shipment of a planned 1,000 pregnant heifers under the National Herd Expansion Programme, an initiative intended to strengthen Guyana’s beef and dairy industries.

According to the ministry, the livestock were supplied by Coopera of Brazil following a procurement process conducted through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board. Four bids—one local and three international—were received before the contract was awarded at a price of G$245,000 per pregnant heifer.

This arrangement leads with the latest development and GLDA’s response while preserving all of the Opposition’s concerns and comments in a balanced, chronological way.

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• APNU, cattle, Ebini, Ebini Livestock Facility, Guyana Livestock Development Authority, Pregnant heifers

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